Refrigerating apparatus



L. s. COOPER REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 30, 19:56

May 23, 1939.

"Patented May 23,1939 A c Q 4 I 2,159,928

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Lonzo S. Coopenliqua, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware 7 Application September 30, 1936, Serial No. 103,280

3 Claims. (01. 137-439) This invention relates to refrigerating apparavalve casing. Such an electromagnet must be tus and more particularlyto valve means for reof special manufacture and would be difficult for frigerating apparatus. an unauthorized service man to acquire. Since in Refrigerator manufacturers naturally desire servicing refrigeration equipment it" is usually that their refrigerating systems be serviced by necessary. to close the valve in the liquid line, this 5 their own service organizations. Heretofore they would prevent many unauthorized service men have been unable to accomplish this since anyfrom servicing refrigerating equipment provided one could, if called upon, service a refrigerating with this Valve.

system. In'some cases individuals would lead Referring now to the drawing and morepar- 10 the public to believe that they were authorized ticularly to Fig. 1 there is shown a refrigerating 10 service men when in fact they were not. system including a compressor 20 driven by an It is an object of my invention to provide a electric motor 22 for compressing the refrigerant means whereby unauthorized servicing of refrigand for forwarding the compressed refrigerant. to erating systems may be hindered or prevented. a condenser 24 where the compressed refrigerant It is another object of my invention to provide is liquefied and collected'in the receiver 26. From 15 a valve means for a refrigerating system which the receiver 26 the liquid refrigerant is forwardcanonly be used by one having a particular form ed through a supply conduit 28 to an expansion of means for its operation. valve 30 which controls the fiow of refrigerant in-' It is another object of my invention to provide to-an evaporating means 32. Within the evapora sealed valve means for a refrigerating system ating means, the refrigerant evaporates and ab- 20 Which y e Opera-ted y P table external sorbs heat from compartment '34 which is to be electromagnetic means capable of moving the. cooled. This refrigerant is returned to the comvalve to open or closed position. pressor through a conduit 36. The operation of Further objects and advantages of the present the motor-compressor unit is controlled by a an invention will be apparent from the following snapactingswitch means 38 operated in accorddescriptionfreference being had to the accom- .ance with the temperature of the thermostatic panying d awi g. where n preferred-form of bulb 40 mounted upon the evaporating means 32. the present inve'ntionis clearly shown. While this refrigerating system is illustrated as In the drawing: the preferred form, other refrigerating systems Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the reffrigermay be employed. 30

ating system embodying my invention; v Connected into the liquid line 28 ismay im- 2.is a vertical sectional view through. the proved form of shut off valve designated by ref-' refrigerant shut. off valve embodying my invenerence character 42. This valve is provided with tion: a valve body formed of rigid walls which entirely Fig. 3 is'another vertical sectional view of the enclose the valve-proper. ,This valve is provided 35 liquid valve embodying my invention; and with a cylindrical casing 44 provided with an in-' Fig. 4-is a top view of the valve with the cover let 46 andan outlet 48. Within this casing is a and electromagnetic means removed. valve chamber 50 and a passage 52 leadsfrom the Briefly, I have disclosed a refrigerating system inlet 46 to chamber 50 and a second passage 54' of the compression typeprovided with a shut off leads from the chamber 50 to the outlet 48. A 40 liquid line valve sealed within rigid walls. This portion of the passage 54 adjacent the valve valve is provided with a bar' of magneticmaterial chamber 50 serves as a valve seat. The top of which may be attracted and rotated by an electro the member 44 is closed by a top plate 5'6 contain-. mag-net operated 'andlocated outside of the rigid ing a recess 58. 'Thistop plate is provided with 1 walls of the valve. This bar may be attracted and a heavy peripheral flange and a relativelythin 5 turned to position where it'rests upon shoulders center wall. Beneath thisthin center wall is a to hold the valve in the open position when desecond chamber 60 formed in the valve body. sired or the electromagnetic means may be used In the lower portion of this chamber 60 is a. round to attract the bar and to rotate the bar to an' aperture plate 62 which is fastened to the mem- ,0 other position where it rests within a notch which her 44 by four screws designated by the reference i permits the valvc to be moved to closed position. character 64. Two lugs of shoulders 66 are also The electromagnet must have two poles which provided on top'of this plate 62. All of these fit withina recess within the top of the valve f parts are preferably made of brass or some other casing and must'have adequate strength for atnon-magnetic material. 4

35 tracting the bar of magnetic material within the With the valve chamber 50 is a valve 38 preferably of stainless steel. This valve is provided with a conically pointed lower end which is adapted to close the mouth of the outlet passage 54. This valve 68 is provided with a shoulder I8 which surrounds a lower spring retainer I2. This lower spring retainer I2 serves to guide the lower end of the valve within the'valve chamber 58 and also supports the lower end of a compression type spring I4 which may be made of Monel or spring brass. The upper portion of this spring is supported by an upper spring retainer 16 which in turn is supported by a ball race 18. This ball race or ball bearing is supported by the plate 62.-

The plate 62 is provided 'with an aperture which receives the upper portion of the valve stem. This upper portion of the valve stem is provided with a reduced threaded portion to which is threaded a fiat bar 88 of magnetic material. This bar 88 is adapted to rest in the grooved or notched portion between the shoulders or lugs 66 when the valve is in closed position. When the valve is in open position this bar is first raised and then turned from 45 to 90 degrees so that it rests upon the shoulders 66, thereby holding the valve in open position against the tension of the spring I4. The upper end of the valve stem 'may be provided with a rounded raised hump or point 84 for engaging the top member so as to permit the easy rotation of the bar 88 and the valve stem which is also facilitated by the ball race. This hump 84 serves to prevent the bar 88 from being drawn tightly against the top member 66 and also serves as a pivot. The ball'race permits the spring I4 to turn freely with the valve.

Above the top plate is an electromagnet generally designated by the reference character 86. This electromagnet has two poles 88 and 98 which just fit within the recess 86 and the top 56.-

These two poles 88 and 98 form the lower ends of the magnetic core upon which is wound the magnetic coils 92 and 94. These coils are supplied with electric energy from an external source usually the common electric light-circuit through the electric conductor 96. One of the conductors 98 extends through the coil 94 while the other extends through a binding post I82 which supports a spring contact I84. This spring contact I84 makes contact with a cooperating contact I86 on the post I88 extending upwardly from the core 88. This contact is connected to the electromagnet coil 92 which in turn is connected at its lower end to the lower end of the coil 94. A push button H8 is provided at the top of the electromagnet for engaging the spring contact I84 for closing the electric circuit 92.

In the normal operation of the refrigerating system the valve 42 always remains in the open position with the bar 80 resting upon the shoulders or lugs 66. This holds the valve 68 away from the mouth of the passage 64 so that refrigerant is permitted to flow from the inlet through the passage 52 into the valve chamber 68-and through the passage 54 to the outlet 48. The top member of the valve is preferably marked to show the position for which the electromagnet must be placed and moved to first attract the bar 88 and then to turn the bar to open or closed position as desired.

When it is desired to open the valve, the electromagnet is placed with its two poles directly above the two ends of the bar 88. The push button H8 is then pushed to close the circuit and to cause electric energy to flow through the electromagnet coils 92 and 94 to provide a powerful-electromagnetic force or attraction tending to pull the bar 88 upwardly fromits position between the shoulders 66. This pulls the bar 88 upwardly until the hump 84 rests against the top wall 56. Then while the push button H8 is still pushed downwardly to keep the electromagnet energized, the electromagnet is turned to the position indicated on the top of the plate as being the open position. In this case the electromagnet is turned from closed position to open position so that the bar is moved from its position between the shoulders 66 and turned to the position above the shoulders 68 and then the push button 8 is released to permit the bar 88 to drop onto the shoulders 66 and the valve 68 is thereby moved .to open position. All this is accomplished without any mechanical connection between the valve and the electromagnet outside of the valve body.

In order to move the valve from open position to closed position, the poles of the electromagnet are placed directly above the bar 88 and the push button H8 is depressed to energize the electromagnet and raise the bar 88' to its upward position and then continuing to depress the push button, the electromagnet is turned until the bar 88 is between the shoulders or lugs 66 after which the push button is released to allow the bar to move downwardly under the force of the spring I4 onto the shoulders or lugs 66 which ordinarily necessary to close the valve in the liqv uid line. Thus, unless a service man has an electromagnet capable of fitting the top of the valve and suficiently powerful to attract and turn the bar 88 as required, the liquid line cannot be closed and therefore it cannot be ordinarily serviced by someone not having the proper equipment.

While this valve is shown applied to a refrigerating system for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it obviously could be applied to numerous other fluid systems and conduits, particularly where it is desired to provide a valve which cannot be tampered or disturbed by the general public. The valve has no external ,openingsand no packing of any kind is required, thus eliminating a major source of trouble.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms Tnight be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A valve means including a sealed valve body with rigid walls containing and completely enclosing a valve sealed therein, said valve being provided with a portion of magnetic material,

said valve consisting of a bar rotatable with respect to the valve body, said valve having open and closed positions, said valve body having a shoulder for supporting the bar when the valve is in the open position and a notch adjacent the shoulder for receiving the bar when the valve is in closed position, said magnetic portion being moved by magnetic means outside the valve body to move the valve and the bar from one position to another.

2. A valve means including a sealed valve body having a face exposed to the atmosphere, a valve completely enclosed by said body, said valve including a portion formed of magnetic material, said valve being rotatably mounted with respect to the valve body, magnetic means normally independent of said valve means and movable into position opposite said exposed face, said magnetic cluding a portion formed of magnetic material, means, when in position opposite said face opmagnetic means normally independent of said erating upon said magnetic portion, to rotate valve means and movable into position opposite and lift said valve, and means for holding the said exposed face, said magnetic means, when in valve in either an open or closed position. position oppositesaidface operating upon said 6 3. A valve means including a sealed valve body magnetic portion to cause movement of said having a face exposed to the atmosphere, a valve valve. v completely enclosed by said body, said valve in- LONZO S. COOPER. 

